Alien Isolation Pre-Order Trailer: It’s “Oh, You Want Some, Too?!” Before That Line Existed In The Franchise…

Posted on July 10, 2014 by geelw

Well, I guess there’s a pre-order in my future after all, but as noted yesterday, I really hope that Sega and developer The Creative Assembly decide to make BOTH of those DLC packs permanent and available to everyone who wants them at some point. I just can’t see them vanishing into the ether forever a year or less down the road like the content in that last Aliens game a lot of people seemed to dislike too much. Anyway, this is a completely different game and a completely different dev team, so I’m one of those smarter people not rolling in the mud and predicting this game will be anything but as solid as a developer that’s never failed me previously can make. As far as what platform to play it on? I’m still flipping a coin…

ALIEN: Isolation Nostromo Edition DLC Packs Bring Back The Cast From The Past (But There’s An Pesky Modern Catch).

Posted on July 9, 2014 by geelw

Okay, the BEST gaming news I’ve heard all day also happens to kick me in the tender bits (ouchie!) because it’s a blast of sci-fi nostalgia mixed with the modern retailer insanity many gamers despise that shuts them out of bonus content. Anyway, the good., no, GREAT news is the announcement on the official site (and over on IGN, which ran a brief video announcing the news) of some incredible DLC for Alien Isolation that bumps the standard edition up to the Nostromo Edition and allows for players to dive into an enhanced mission based on the first film.

Even better, this mission has the voices and faces of all but one of the actors from the original film. Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), and Yaphet Kotto (Parker) are all on board in the “Crew Expendable” DLC, with Ian Holm’s Ash being portrayed by a sound-alike.

So far, so good, right? But of course, here comes the claw to the throat… Continue reading →

Abyss Odyssey Asks You To Beat Time (and Plenty of Bad People) On PC, PS3 & Xbox 360

Posted on July 9, 2014 by geelw

ACE Team’s games have ranged from the extremely strange (Zeno Clash, Zeno Clash 2) to the somewhat stranger (Rock of Ages), so it’s a fine thing indeed to see them making a more straightforward game in Abyss Odyssey, set to hit PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on June 15 for $14.99 (or 9.99 if you pre-order the game on Steam, you lucky PC owners you!).

According to Atlus, the game is “a new side-scrolling action adventure game featuring a complex fighting engine in procedurally generated levels”, which means no two players should see the exact same levels as they play. Gameplay will seem familiar to fans of Dragon’s Crown on the PS3 and Vita, but like that VanillaWare instant classic, AO owes a lot to gaming’s past on a few fronts.

As you can see above, the art style here is certainly gorgeous, as is most of the animation, going for a mix of realism in the character models and lush fantasy elements in those lovely environments and enemies. Additionally, making a female one of the playable characters from the outset is a smart move, as a game such as this will have a wider appeal with the addition of a lady who can hold her own with the tough guys here.

That said, it’s too bad this isn’t on a disc, as I know a few folks who aren’t fond of digital all that much who’d LOVE this game to death. Oh well – I suppose one day Atlus will gather all of ACE’s games up and stick them onto a Blu-Ray for a limited retail release at some point. Or at least realize that not everyone prefers the “convenience” of not owning a physical product you can lend to someone without having to rely on the internet to make that loan or trade possible. Anyway, this one looks like an instant BUY in my book.

DESTINY Collector’s Editions: Get That Ghost (Or Whatever Else You Want) Soon!

Posted on July 7, 2014 by geelw

While I’m not sure how supremely high interest is in Bungie’s first new project since the blockbuster Halo days (that’s a bit on an in-joke, kids – people seem to want this all-new IP quite a lot), the hype around Destiny is certainly huge enough that the game is getting a few collector’s editions as you can see and read below:

That’s the Limited Edition above and there’s the Ghost Edition below:

And of course, DLC is along for the ride in this online-only experience. Here’s what’s coming down the early part of that long road Bungie and Activision have planned for the future:

Now, I’m not big on the whole Expansion Pass thing, but it’s one of those accepted practices that should work here quite well should the game have legs and Bungie wants to give its fans more as they burn through all the content in the main game. I just KNOW there will be some really enterprising players who team up to blow through the game world and its story content as quickly as possible, so I’m hoping the developer can at least keep up with those people and address any “complaints” they have. Granted, you’re not “supposed” to stay up for what, 20 hours straight (or however long it takes to see everything) playing ANY game. but try and stop someone with too much time on his or her hands and prepare to get slapped when they get a free hand.

Alien: Isolation Is Calling Me (Let’s Hope Sega Is Listening As Well)…

Posted on June 30, 2014 by geelw

Okay, Sega. I wasn’t at E3 this year, so tell me you’re rolling into NYC with Alien: Isolation and a few others sometime soon. I have a few appointments in July, but I’ll clear out the better part of a day just to see this in action and play it a little. Not TOO much, as I don’t want to pee myself in public (ha, ha). Just enough so that I know it’s on the right track (and I already do, but hands-on is better than too much “journalistic overconfidence” any day of the week). Um… that is all for now. Oh yeah, Sonic the Hedgehog had a birthday recently. I baked a cake, but ate the whole thing because he needs to watch his weight with that new look and all…

Sniper Elite III Launch Trailer: I’d Say If Mr. Fairburne Is Early… You’re Going To Be Quite Late.

Posted on June 26, 2014 by geelw

Rebellion’s newest installment in their Sniper Elite series smashes into stores tomorrow in Europe and July 1 here in North America and if my earlier preview impressions hold up in the final build, the game is guaranteed to be a bigger hit than the previous installments. Improvements all around to the visuals, map design and both solo and online gameplay mean this one’s going to eat up a chunk of time among genre fans looking for something new to keep them occupied for a bit. I’ll be lurking close to my mailbox to get the jump on the delivery guy so I can grab my copy of the game from him before he knows it’s gone. Or perhaps I should just let him do his job, as I don’t want to get into trouble for my over-excitement…

GRID Autosport Launch Trailer – You’ll Be Driven Wild And Love Every Minute…

Posted on June 24, 2014 by geelw

Well, well, well… my review copy of GRID Autosport arrived earlier today and as I didn’t expect it until later in the week, I ended up NOT getting any work done because I’ve been “out” driving for most of this afternoon. So far, it’s quite lovely, the inside the car views are back, the AI is pretty fierce and the hours will FLY by once you pop this game into your PS3, Xbox 360 or PC. I’ll try and get a more comprehensive review up this weekend, but for now you need this game if you’re a car nut and fan of Codemasters’ Racing Studio’s very solid outings.

E3 2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Monolith Just Might Be Making The Lord of The Lord of the Rings Games…

Posted on June 23, 2014 by geelw

Veteran developer (and former publisher) Monolith Productions has been around since 1997, but it’s upcoming game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor may just be the studio’s most important game to date. The upcoming open world action/RPG set to hit PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on October 7, 2014 looks to bring an all-new hero, Talion (a ranger who’s been killed but revived with supernatural powers) into the familiar world created by J. R. R. Tolkien. The game’s story is written by Christian Cantamessa (a lead-writer and lead-designer on Rockstar San Diego’s Red Dead Redemption) and Monolith is working with Middle-earth Enterprises, Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop ensuring that everything in the game is as close to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit canon as it gets while introducing some new and appealing elements.

Additionally, in the case of the PC and next-gen versions, the developer is also looking to expand the enemy AI in their game with something called the Nemesis System that gives each foe a back story, motivations and memories, allowing them to fight more fiercely and even remember how you’ve treated them if you happen to let them live when encountering them during gameplay. Another cool thing is the game will randomize who you encounter and allow no two play-throughs to be exactly the same. Talion will be able to influence enemies to fight each other, ally with him to take to the battlefield with some assistance and more. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will most likely see this system slimmed down a bit, but if those versions retain the open world,enough of the abilities Talion has to affect enemies and the unique enemy placement, it’ll absolutely be well worth a buy… Continue reading →

Speaking of Sniper Elite III: This New Trailer Lets You Play Along (And See What’s Coming)…

Posted on June 19, 2014 by geelw

And of course, as soon as I post that last article, I see this trailer in my inbox. Oops. Well, as it’s a fun little interactive video, I figured I’d give a few of you something to do while you’re waiting for the game to drop next week. Anyway, this is a tiny bit gory and NSFW, so don’t let the kids go clicking around here. Or the family pet. That dog or cat might get some not so good ideas from watching this and you’ll be sleeping with a light on and your bedroom door locked tight so Scooby or Felix won’t do you in while you’re dozing…

Sniper Elite 3 Limited Special Edition: PC Gamers Get A One In A Thousand Shot for This Awesome CE

Posted on June 19, 2014 by geelw

While collector’s editions of PC games aren’t exactly uncommon these days, digital delivery means more and more die-hards seem to prefer that non-disc means of getting their content. Rebellion is smart enough to know that there’s still a market for big metal tins full of cool stuff outside the console space where CE’s are all to common these days, so here you go: the Sniper Elite III Limited Special Edition (cue explosions and fancy sniper music or whatever you need to get you even more excited). Wow. This huge lot of goodies is limited to a mere 1000 copies worldwide, is ONLY available at the Rebellion web shop, costs 149.99 and is packed to the gills with stuff you can hold in your hot little hands. What sort of stuff, you ask? Well, just look below:

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LIMITED SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDES:

Sniper Elite 3 PC game supplied on 2 DVDs
Access to ALL current and future Sniper Elite 3 PC DLC packs
Bespoke game tin protected by an individually numbered card sleeve
Wax-sealed secret dossier including: tank & weapon schematics, maps of North Africa, spotter’s guides and more!
A5 card hand-signed by members of the Sniper Elite 3 development team
Limited edition t-shirt
Hand-illustrated playing cards representing American, British, Italian and German forces
A2 firing range poster
6 x original Sniper Elite 3 postcards
Woven Sniper Elite 3 badge with heat activated adhesive backing
Printed instruction manual

Note: All printed box contents for the Limited Special Edition are in English only.

As I said above, WOW. I see from Rebellion’s facebook page for the game that some PS3 and Xbox 360 owners are jealously bugging them about console versions, but I’m gathering the team doesn’t want to spend the next week or two autographing a few thousand more of those A5 size cards, so I guess there will be a thousand REALLY lucky PC owners who get the ultimate version of what’s looking to be the developer’s best game to date. Given that the release date is right around the corner (June 27, 2014, to be exact), I’d bet this one sells out fast.